Small Study: Heavy Facebook Use May Be Tied To Increased Depressive Symptoms.

USA Today (4/8, Guynn) reports that research published in the Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology suggests that “liking other people’s status updates and photos on Facebook could make you like yourself less.” The study’s lead author pointed out that “people with emotional difficulties” appear to be “most vulnerable.”

The Washington Post (4/7, Moyer) “Morning Mix” blog reported that in arriving at these conclusions, researchers “completed two experiments with more than 100 subjects designed to measure their Facebook usage, depressive symptoms and tendency to compare themselves with others.” Participants “completed questionnaires and/or kept diaries, self-reporting their behavior and states of mind.” The study revealed that “spending a great deal of time on Facebook (or viewing Facebook more frequently) is positively related to comparing one’s self to others…which in turn is associated with increased depressive symptoms.”